Building a capable careeroriented and professional Public Service

Building a capable, career-oriented and professional Public Service to underpin a Capable Developmental State in South Africa PSC Conference: 11 -13 November 2014

Setting the Scene § § The purpose of this plenary session is to table the PSC’s Discussion Document. This is not a conference simply to discuss an important subject. The purpose is specifically to hone and refine the views of the PSC through tapping on the expertise and experience of all of you with a specific interest in the performance of the public service. Rationale for project § The Constitution enjoins us to promote a public service that is development -oriented. § The NDP affirmed government’s commitment to building a capable developmental state. § As noted in the NDP, which is South Africa’s strategic national development framework for 2013 -2030, “we need to move towards a state that is more capable, more professional and more responsive to the needs of its citizens”.

Objectives • • To develop a shared understanding in the PSC of the concept of a capable developmental state, and of the attributes of a public service and administrative leadership that should underpin it. To critically review public service institutions and practices with a view to advising key decisionmakers about the direction of change of the public service. To develop a strategic framework document on the attributes of both the public service and its administrative leadership. To make recommendations to key decision-makers on building a capable, career-oriented, professional public service.

Methodology § In the build-up to this conference the PSC conducted primary and secondary research in order to better understand the bureaucratic and leadership underpinnings of countries regarded as capable, developmental states. § The PSC drew first-hand lessons from Brazil, Malaysia, China, Botswana and Mauritius and undertook desk-top reserah on other countries, notably Korea and Japan, which hold relevant experiences for South Africa. § The Discussion Document also builds on years of work of the PSC on public service matters and public administration. Indeed, the PSC has built up a considerable body of work on this subject.

Public Service Transformation Journey § It is important to recognise what has been achieved on the public service transformation journey since 1994. o The old apartheid administrations were rationalised into a unified public service with a completely new orientation serving all the citizens of SA. The re-organisation that this entailed, with 14 administrations in the old dispensation, was a commendable achievement. And yet the work is not completed because many of the old disparities, in resourcing and capabilities, remain. o The public service is now largely representative of the SA people. Representativeness is also not just a quota game but indeed has a lot to do with performance because a public service reflecting the diversity of SA can indeed serve it better. This task is also not complete because big backlogs in access and opportunity remain. o A solid framework of institutions, legislation, regulations and policy has been created to govern the public service. Compliance with these policies has improved incrementally year after year and the focus can now shift to achieving real effectiveness and excellence. 5

Problem statement • Whilst it can be acknowledged that good progress has been made in the transformation of the public service, the shortcomings of the new public service have to be acknowledged. • The NDP Diagnostic Report concludes that the performance of the public service is uneven. There are excellent departments but also those characterised by poor performance, maladministration and even collapse. Some of the old fissures are still present in the current system. There is also the spectre of corruption. • A key question is whether a point in the transformation journey has been reached where further transformations in the personnel and other public administration practices that define the ethos and ultimately determine the performance of the public service, should be made. 6

Understanding the key attributes of developmental states: Lessons Learnt • This project is not about developmental state theory. • The PSC does not deal with all the determinants of successful developmental states. The Discussion Document does, however, explain the key attributes of developmental states and also explains the links between those attributes and the elements of a capable, career-oriented and professional public service that the PSC has studied. • As explained in the Discussion Document strong institutions are the bedrock of the state’s organisational and technical capacity, and the public service is a key institution. • The focus of the PSC is specifically on those aspects of public service that fall within its mandate. The PSC has a specific mandate to investigate, monitor and evaluate the organisation and administration, the personnel practices and the performance of the public service. 7

Elements for Building a Capable, Career-oriented and professional public service • • Based on its research of the determinants of capable institutions, the PSC identified the following critical elements that define a capable public service: o A values-Driven Public Service o Recruitment o Promotion and Career Path o Performance Management o Competencies of PS Leadership o The political-administrative interface o Capacitation/ Training and its funding in the public service o Role of PSCs For each of these elements the Discussion Document – o refers to comparative experiences o evaluates the SA experience o proposes issues for consideration/ policy options. 8

A Values- Driven Public Service § § § The Discussion Document deals with technical matters of recruitment, career paths and performance management. However, the Constitution defines professionalism and excellence in public administration in terms of a set of values and principles that the public service should promote and adhere to, building on the foundational values of human dignity, equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms. The specific values governing public administration include efficiency, effectiveness, development-orientation, popular participation in policymaking and good human resource management practices. So, whilst we deal with technical issues, we should not forget that ultimately the performance and ethos of the public service are determined by adherence to values. The PSC has a unique role to play in interpreting these values and applying them in an increasingly complex policy environment. We would welcome your input on how these values can be promoted by the PSC and the public service as a whole. 9

Recruitment: Developmental States • There is a low degree of political involvement in the appointment of public servants in developmental states. • Recruitment is regulated and overseen by central agencies, in many cases by independent PSCs • Selection is generally based on competitive, open entrance examinations. 10

Recruitment: Post 1994 SA Public Service • Recruitment is largely in the hands of Executive Authorities (ministers). They have discretion in determining job specifications, the advertised requirements, and the appointment of selection committees. Job specifications are not standardised by a central agency (DPSA). • The criteria and rating scales used by selection committees and the rigour of the process are largely in the hands of thousands of selection committees. • This has contributed towards a large degree of unevenness of skills in the public service. The decisions on skills requirements and whether candidates and staff meet them are decentralised rather than tightly regulated by a central agency (DPSA). This has unavoidably resulted in inappropriate appointments. However – • an entry examination may unfairly discriminate between candidates because of highly unequal educational backgrounds. • similarly, to set higher educational requirements than the current three-year diploma or bachelor’s degree (NQF level 6) may unfairly discriminate between candidates for the same reason. 11

Recruitment Issues for consideration/policy options (2) Consequently, rather than proposing an entry examination or higher entry qualifications, the Discussion Document opted for: o Suitable qualifications or training programmes in relevant fields of study designed or endorsed by the National School of Government (NSG), set as a probation or promotion requirement (as per departmental needs). o Alternatively, internship periods can be used for candidates to – ü obtain such prescribed relevant qualifications; and/or ü receive training and experiential learning in a specified scope of work, after which the candidate’s proficiency in that scope of work should be certified. • Such internships should be highly structured and managed by the NSG or any suitable co-ordinating body. • These internships should specifically apply to occupational categories that serve as feeders for the middle and senior management services. 12

Promotion and Career Path: Developmental States (2) Careers in developmental states are characterised by the following: • Appointment until retirement • Internal promotion on the basis of seniority and performance • Predictable career paths • Rotation between departments and other agencies 13

Promotion and Career Path: Post-1994 SA Public Service • In SA the public service career system is an open system in the sense that all posts are advertised anybody, not just career public servants, can apply. • Promotion is treated as an appointment and therefore the same requirements as for appointment apply. • When people are appointed attention is not given to their longer term career within specific occupational categories and pools of skills are therefore not built over the longer term. • Career paths and succession planning are determined largely by the individual who applies for posts to further his/her career. 14

Promotion and Career Path: Issues for consideration/policy options The Discussion Document therefore proposes for consideration that: • • Advertisement of posts o Ho. Ds should have the discretion to advertise selected posts within the public service only. o This means that besides the entry level, vacancies of selected posts should be filled internally first. o The regulation that SMS posts should be advertised nationwide should be reconsidered in the light of the above. Promotion requirements o A minimum number of years of service should be set for promotion from one rank to the next. o With regard to appointment/promotion in the MMS and SMS, the following options can be considered: q A promotion exam as a requirement for promotion to the MMS and SMS; OR q A prescribed course(s) in relevant fields of study, designed by the NSG, as a requirement for promotion into the MMS and SMS. 15

Role of Performance Management: Post 1994 SA Public Service • The objectives of the PMDS are • No evaluation has been among others to: undertaken to test the o establish a performance and effectiveness of the PMDS learning culture in the public against its objectives. service • A key question is: To what o improve service delivery extent does the system o ensure that all jobholders improve service delivery and know and understand what is evaluate performance fairly expected of them and objectively? o identify, manage and promote jobholders’ development needs o evaluate and recognise performance fairly and objectively 16

Performance Management: Post 1994 SA Public Service (2) • • The PMDS assumes that performance can be fully and properly evaluated against objective measures. Available evaluations show that one of the main preconditions for the success of the system, namely objective measures, is often not present. The PSC has over a number of years undertaken compliance studies, testing whether departments comply with the tenets of the system; compliance levels are very low. The stakes for employees in the system are high because of the link with performance bonuses. There is a perception that the system is manipulated simply as the means to produce the supporting documentation and obtain approval for performance bonuses. If the preconditions for the success of the system are not met and are not likely to be met, the system needs to be fundamentally reviewed. 17

Performance Management: Issues for consideration/policy options The Discussion Document consequently proposes that: • The PMDS should be reviewed after an evaluation of the effectiveness of the system against its own stated objectives. A number of options for changes are proposed that give an indication of the direction we should be moving in with regard to performance management. 18

Competencies of Public Service Leadership: Developmental States ü ü ü • There is no blueprint competency framework that can be adapted from one developmental country to another. • Many competency frameworks contain behavioural competencies and limited attention is given to technical competencies. ü ü ü ü Strategic thinking Vision Achieving results Building relations Commitment Adaptability Communication Decision-making Learning Coaching/developing Teamwork 19

Competencies of Public Service Leadership: Post 1994 SA Public Service • The SMS competency framework was introduced in 2003 and is applicable to the four SMS levels, namely Directors, Chief Directors, DDGs and DGs. • The framework outlines generic management competencies, instead of technical/ functional competencies, which are essential for a specific department or job. • The framework is based on the assumption that the functional Key Performance Areas (KPAs) for SMS members will be determined by each department, in line with its mandates and strategic objectives. • The framework has been validated for development interventions, and not for selection purposes; development gaps are identified, but are not always followed up by structured interventions. • Furthermore, the political and economic competencies and attributes that are emphasised in the literature on the developmental state are not explicitly stated. 20

Competencies of Public Service Leadership: Issues for consideration/policy options Consequently the Discussion Document emphasises that: • After assessments, appropriate training • programmes to fill gaps identified must be designed and offered by the National School of Government. The SMS Competency Framework should be reviewed in order to incorporate the following: o Economic competencies o Political competencies o Technical and functional competencies 21

Political-administrative interface: Post 1994 SA Public Service • There are concerns that the politicaladministrative interface in South Africa is unstable and this contributes to a high turnover rate of HODs and cosequent service delivery challenges. • The dominant view on the source of the challenges in the political-administrative interface is the contradictions in legislation, i. e. the Public Finance Management Act, and the Public Service Act. 22

Political-administrative interface: Issues for consideration/policy options In order to stabilize the political administrative interface the following is proposed: • Since the extent of delegation impacts on the relationship between Ministers and Ho. Ds, it is suggested that Section 3 of the PSA be amended to assign all powers with regard to the career incidents of public servants below the level of DDG to the Ho. D. • The NDP proposal to create an Administrative Head of the Public Service and a hybrid approach to top appointments, with a role for the PSC, should be implemented. This may have legislative and possibly Constitutional implications. 23

Capacitation/Training and its Funding in the Public Service • The experience of DSs showed that: o Training should be focused on specific organisational needs and the building of the skills of employees linked to their long term occupational career path. o It should address specific skills gaps and core courses should be set as probation or promotion requirement. • In South Africa, the legislative and regulatory framework to facilitate training and development in the public service is in place. • Due to weaknesses in the provisioning approach and programme design for training and development, the relevant institution was reconfigured to create the NSG. • However, a lot of work still needs to be done with regard to the selection of critical training courses, developing training content and improving the cost-effectiveness and impact of training. 24

Capacity Development and its Funding in the Public Service: Issues for consideration/policy options (2) The following issues are raised for consideration: Public Service • A system should be put in place to review the effectiveness and efficiency of learning provided through the NSG and relevant service providers. • Norms of public service education should be set and dedicated faculty in the NSG be developed to facilitate learning. • The NSG to liaise with Higher Education institutions to clarify their role in building the capability of public servants. • Partnerships are to be strengthened between the NSG and institutions of higher learning (public and private) to deliver programmes. 25

Role of Public Service Commissions: Developmental States • One of the pillars of most developmental states has been the creation of independent PSCs, also known as Civil Service Commissions (CSC). • The history of PSCs exemplifies a rejection of a spoils system, patronage and any recruitment method that is not meritocratic. • The South Africa transition envisaged a representative public service. This required that appointment powers be removed from the PSC; sticking to a career system that mainly appoints from the within the ranks of the public service would have prevented a rapid transformation of the public service. • Great strides have been made in building a representative public service; consideration has been given in the NDP to assigning a role for the PSC in top appointments. 26

The Role of Public Service Commissions: Issues for consideration/ policy options The implications of the following proposals of the NDP should therefore be discussed: • The role of the PSC in appointments of top management (a hybrid approach to appointments) • Strengthening the role of the PSC in championing the norms and standards, and monitoring recruitment processes. 27

Concluding remarks • • Transformation and administrative reforms are understood to be dynamic and complex. The issues for consideration and policy options in the discussion document are designed to fundamentally reshape the public service for the current phase of transition in our new democracy. Throughout the process of change, what remains an important goal is for the government to continually improve the lives of its people. This can be achieved by a capable and development-oriented public service. It is in this spirit that the PSC has identified a need to reflect on the transformation journey in the past 20 years leading to vision 2030 stated in the NDP. The PSC will share the Strategic Framework Document with decisionmakers and key stakeholders in Government and Parliament for discussion and consideration. 28

Thank you Siyabon ga PSC Website: www. psc. gov. za National Anti-Corruption Hotline for the Public Service: 0800 701 701 29